The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the North County Transit District (NCTD) have made new appointments to their respective leadership teams.
MARTA
MARTA has appointed Steven Parker as chief of staff, LaShanda Dawkins as chief administrative officer and Jonathan Hunt as chief legal counsel.
“Ms. Dawkins, Mr. Hunt and Mr. Parker will continue their significant contributions to the important work before us,” said MARTA General Manager and CEO Collie Greenwood. “I am pleased to announce their permanent appointments to my executive team.”
Parker
In his role as chief of staff, Parker will serve as a top advisor to the general manager/CEO, assisting with leading strategic planning, key executive projects and decision making. MARTA says Parker will be responsible for overseeing cross-agency functions, with a focus on key performance indicators, identifying areas of improvement across the organization and making actionable recommendations. He will also represent the CEO in interactions with MARTA Board members, elected and community stakeholders and the public. Additionally, he will manage the Department of External Affairs, which encompasses government affairs, public engagement communications and marketing.
Parker has 25 years of experience in community, legislative, legal and policy development. He joined MARTA in 2024 as assistant general manager of external affairs and most recently served as interim chief of staff. Previously, he served as deputy state director for U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and worked as an attorney at Balch & Bingham LLP, senior city attorney for the city of Atlanta and general counsel for StoryBrand.
He holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence from North Carolina Central University School of Law and a B.A. in political science from California State University Northridge.
Dawkins
As chief administrative officer, Dawkins will assist the General Manager/CEO in the overall administration of MARTA, ensuring alignment with policies and directives set by leadership. She will oversee departments that provide business support services, including human resources, labor and employee relations and diversity and inclusion. Dawkins will also coordinate executive activities and develop long- and short-term strategies in support of MARTA’s mission.
With over 25 years of experience in legal and human resource management, Dawkins has been with MARTA since 2006, most recently serving as interim chief administrative officer. She holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Texas Tech University School of Law and a B.B.A. in accounting from Prairie View A&M University.
Hunt
As chief legal counsel, Hunt will advise the General Manager, staff and the MARTA Board of Directors on legal matters, including litigation, regulatory compliance, intergovernmental relations and real estate. He will lead a team of in-house attorneys and oversee the Office of Risk Management and Contracts, Procurement and Materials. Additionally, he will monitor and coordinate legal services for the MARTA Board of Directors.
Hunt has over 24 years of legal experience and previously worked as an engineer with Gilbane Co. before entering law. He has been with MARTA since 2014, most recently serving as interim chief legal counsel. Hunt earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence from Case Western Reserve University and a B.S. from Hampton University.
MTA
MTA’s New York City (NYC) Transit has made various new appointments, including Bernard Jackson as COO of NYC Transit, William “Bill” Amarosa Jr. as senior vice president of subways and Rachel Cohen as vice president of paratransit.
“New York City deserves a world class transit leadership team. I’m proud of the team and confident these talented people will continue to serve riders with professional excellence that NYC Transit can count on,” said NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow. “Millions of riders rely on us to get them where they need to go safely and efficiently every day – let’s get to work!”
Jackson
Jackson comes to the role of COO with over 38 years of experience spanning multiple transit agencies across the U.S., last serving as the senior executive vice president and COO for the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). In this role, Jackson will oversee and drive performance and service improvements across the departments of subways, buses, paratransit and operations planning.
Previously at DART, Jackson oversaw bus, light and commuter rail, paratransit, on-demand services, maintenance-of-way and facilities maintenance divisions. Jackson also gained experience as the COO, service delivery at Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. He began his career at the Chicago Transit Authority, where he worked for 28 years, first starting as a bus service and bus operator and through the years elevated to become vice president of bus operations and director of rail operations.
Amarosa Jr.
Amarosa Jr. previously served as the vice president of operations support for NYC Transit and has served in an acting capacity as senior vice president of subways since the start of the year. In this position, Amarosa leads the team responsible for operating, maintaining and improving the subway system. MTA notes that during his time in the acting position, on-time performance has grown to 83 percent on weekdays and 87 percent on weekends. Ridership has also improved, with February ridership up nine percent compared to the same time in 2024.
He previously held the role of vice president of operations support, which oversaw critical back of house functions to support subway operating divisions. Starting his career at NYC Transit as a high school intern, Amarosa Jr. gained 10 years of private sector experience before returning to the MTA in operations planning and budgetary roles. He has visited transportation systems worldwide and in 2006, Amarosa broke the Guinness World Record for riding the entire NYC subway system in the shortest amount of time.
Cohen
Cohen has been serving as the acting vice president of paratransit since May 2024 and first joined the NYC Transit Accessibility team in 2018 after working at NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission, the New York City regulatory authority for Access-A-Ride for-hire vehicles. In this role, she oversees a team that provides 30,000 daily rides to people who are unable to use the subway or bus system due to a disability.
During her tenure, Cohen oversaw Access-A-Ride ridership records, including a single day high of 43,000 scheduled trips on March 19. In this role, Cohen will focus on more efficient scheduling for customers, fiscal responsibility and improving vendor management.
NCTD
NCTD has appointed Lori A. Winfree to serve as the agency’s deputy CEO. In this role, Winfree will serve as a strategic advisor to the CEO and the NCTD Board of Directors, as the agency embarks on several defining mega-projects on the eve of its 50th anniversary. She will also continue her role as NCTD’s chief general counsel, with responsibility for the agency’s workers’ compensation, risk management, safety and legal teams.
"Lori’s leadership has pushed this agency to be the very best version of itself for more than a decade,” said NCTD CEO Shawn M. Donaghy. “Her knowledge of every corner of this agency from bus to rail, maintenance to administration, and – most importantly – the respect that she has earned from our workforce, has put her right there with the top leaders in our industry."
Winfree, an alumna of the University of California, Los Angeles, began her career in transportation with Lufthansa Airlines, as she worked toward her Juris Doctorate. Her work in aviation law helped set the groundwork for her eventual move to public transit at North County Transit – San Diego Railroad in 2013.
“I am honored to be appointed by the NCTD Board of Directors as the deputy chief executive officer on the recommendation of our CEO Shawn M. Donaghy,” Winfree said. “I look forward to continuing to support the board of directors, CEO and awesome employees in this expanded capacity, as we work together to elevate NCTD’s transit operations and surrounding communities.”
NCTD notes Winfree was pivotal during its negotiations regarding track rights and usage agreements as the owner of the railroad in San Diego County with partners at Metrolink, Amtrak and BNSF. Her guidance helped shape the successful insourcing of rail operations and maintenance and will continue to be integral to the upcoming transition of bus operations and maintenance. Additionally, she has assisted in critical projects such as the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo Rail Realignment, SPRINTER hybrid rail vehicle replacement, COASTER locomotive and cab car replacement and other key capital and infrastructure projects.
Winfree serves as the secretary for the Passenger Rail Advisory Committee of the federal Surface Transportation Board. In addition, she represents the agency in various capacities, including through NCTD’s partners at the California Transit Association and the American Public Transportation Association, as well as with economic development councils and legislative activities at the federal and state levels.
Brandon Lewis | Associate Editor
Brandon Lewis is a recent graduate of Kent State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Lewis is a former freelance editorial assistant at Vehicle Service Pros in Endeavor Business Media’s Vehicle Repair Group. Lewis brings his knowledge of web managing, copyediting and SEO practices to Mass Transit Magazine as an associate editor. He is also a co-host of the Infrastructure Technology Podcast.
